True Love and Friendship (Note: What If Story)
by Melinda
Summary: Imagine Marco, Tobias, Rachel, Cassie, and Jake have never met, they grew up in different towns far away from each other, and there's no Yeerks or Visser 3. That's the plot of this story, except now they are in their early 20s and meet. This is basically


Author's Note: For starters I want to apologize for my last Animorphs story, "Rachel and Tobias's Wedding." I know it really wasn't all that great and I recieved so many bad reviews I decided to delete it immediately. And to all those who didn't under stand the whole Cassie naming her child, "Jane Christine", Christine is the middle name for Pete's Sake, it's not Jake's last name!! I hope you all enjoy this story a lot more!  
True Love and Friendship   
by: Melinda  
Prenote: ((This is a "what if" story. Therefore, they've never met before because they grew up in different towns, and simply never met before. They DO NOT know each other at all.))  
In this story, they have never met each other (except for Rachel and Jake, they are cousins!), they live in seperate cities and towns, Have different (some the same) lives, and they're personalities have changed slightly. For example: Cassie's shy and a bookworm, Tobias is a loner and owns and rides a motorcycles, Jake and Rachel aren't that close, and Marco's into writing (in the comedy sense). If you have any questions e-mail me at quinn_sister@hotmail.com  
Prenote: No Yeerks! No Visser 3! No Nothing On The Sort! (Sorry!)   
  
PROLOGUEJake and Rachel have always been cousins, all their lives. But have never really been that close. Yeah they chatted on and off, but that was really it.Rachel was very involved in gymnastics and school work, where Jake enjoyed video games and was an average student. They were pretty much opposites and had nothing really to talk about, in their opinions.  
Cassie had just turned 21 and it was winter time. Her parents moved to from a big city to this town, because it was more quiet and relaxed. Something they wanted, and so they could start up their own vet business. Which was quite successful at the moment. Marco was taking time out to write a book. Nothing he planned on doing when he was growing up, but found to be greatly inspired from comedians and such acts to write a book, like one a comedian would write. Marco's role model growing up was Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) from "Friends" because he was sarcastic and funny, a lot like himself. Tobias has been a loner all his life, he found himself drawing more and more away from what's popular, and what's cool and hip. He was just passing threw on his motorcycle when he decided to stop, no real reason why he just felt an odd urge too. Tobias spent most of his life doing odd jobs, traveling, and such. Though he was quite smart and had a diploma and a few years at a community college. Though he had no family, no aunts, no uncles, mom, dad, brother, sister, etc. He just had himself and memories of his foster parents.   
  
Now The Story Begins...  
  
Marco stopped by the local library to get some books on writing, he didn't have much experience in writing, he took a few classes in his free time. But that was it, he mainly read the ones written by such comedians as: Drew Carey, Tim Allen, Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, Ray Romano, etc. Something about comedy was he enjoyed greatly, mainly because of the fact his mother and father exposed him to it and he's always watched it on tv. He walked into the library and started scanning through the books, looking at the titles.  
Cassie, too, who was in the library. She found it kind of a safe-haven for her. She's been very quiet and very much of a bookworm. She loved to read from, Jane Austen to Edgar Allen Poe. Fiction to Non Fiction. Just anything that interested her, but one of her main passions was animals, she was looking to do some research on Crocodiles and Alligators. She wasn't very familiar with the library, and just kind of looked through it.  
She looked over at Marco. "Hi." she smiled.   
  
He looked up and smiled back. "Hello. Do you know if they have any books on writing?"   
  
She shrugged. "Sorry, I'm new in town. Visiting my parents for the holidays."   
  
Marco chuckled. "I'm new in town, too. It's a nice place, very cozy and relaxing."   
  
Cassie nodded. "Very." she stuck out her hand. "Cassie."   
  
"Marco." he shook her hand. "Where are you from?"   
  
"Chicago. My parents moved her to open their own business. Where you from?" she told him.  
"Jupiter." he said, forgetting to name the state.   
  
She chuckled and grinned. "The planet?" "  
  
No, Florida." he told her, finding his book. "Nice to meet you, Cassie."   
  
"Nice to meet you, too, Marco." she smiled as he walked off. He seemed familiar to her, but not in the romantic sense, more in the friendship sense.   
  
  
Tobias parked his motorcycle infront of a little cyber cafe, true it wasn't his kind of place, but all he wanted was some coffee. And to relax a bit, it was starting to get pretty cold outside, and snow slightly started to fall.   
  
He walked in and sat at the bar. A early 20s blonde approached him. "Hi. Welcome to The Java Cyber Cafe. I'm Rachel, I'll be your waitress. How can I help you?"   
  
Rachel was working there for several weeks now, something she kind of enjoyed. Not necessarily it being that she served coffee, but it was different for her and kind of a bit of a challenge. Not the challenge she wanted though.   
  
Tobias looked at her, and felt some kind of connection with her. Something he has never felt before. "Have we met before?"   
  
She looked at him carefully, studying his face. She thought he was very attractive and felt some kind of chemistry with him immediately. "No, I don't think so. Are you new in town?"   
  
He shook his head. "Yeah, just passing through. But I think I'll stay a little longer with the snow coming."   
  
"Yeah, it gets cold out there." she said. What a stupid thing to say Rachel! she thought.   
  
"I'll have a hot chocolate, please." he smiled at her as she left. He watched her make his hot chocolate. He thought she was so beautiful, and found her so amazing.   
  
  
Cassie walked into the Java Cyber Cafe, just looking for a nice place to relax and read. She wasn't crazy about computers much, though it was a major part of tecnology. She found a little table and sat there, and opened her book.   
  
Jake walked into the Java Cyber Cafe and looked around, he didn't like coffee that much but just felt a strange feeling to be there. First he was just out, doing somethings and a feeling comes over him, "Go To The Java Cyber Cafe," it was way out of his way. But he went anyways.   
  
Cassie looked up just as Jake entered and saw him. He looked so familiar to her, not as if they met before but just had that look. Like they've been together in a past life or something like that. She was one to believe that people can fall in love over weird little oddities like fate, near death situations, etc.  
Jake ordered a hot chocolate and started to walk towards Cassie's table. She needed to go to the bathroom and stood up, and accidently ran into Jake.   
  
She gasped. "Oh my god!"   
  
Jake's mouth dropped, that he actually ran into somebody like that. "I am so sorry." he reached over to a nearby table and grabbed some napkins rubbing and handed them to me. "I didn't see you coming."   
  
"I'm sorry, I should of watched where I was going." she said rubbing napkins on her shirt. "It was just an accident, I wasn't even paying attention."   
  
They managed to get her shirt pretty well cleaned, since it wasn't that bad of a spill.   
  
"I am so sorry..." Jake trailed off, waiting to catch her name.   
  
"Cassie." she said with a little smile.   
  
"Hi Cassie, I'm Jake. Let me by you a drink or something." he offered.   
  
"No thanks, I'm not crazy about coffee." she refused.   
  
He grinned. "Me too. I know a nice little place around the corner, and I'll by you a soda or something." he offered her again, with something more appealing to them both.   
  
She nodded. "That's sounds wonderful."   
  
  
"Anything else for you?" Rachel asked Tobias, he was there for about two hours, just drinking his hot cholcolate, then ordering a cookie and coffee. Rachel's shift was almost over, she had a few minutes.   
  
"No, I'm going to go ahead and pay." he reached into his wallet and pulled out some money and paid her. "Thanks."   
  
He walked outside, and didn't leave yet, he just kind of looked up and town the street. Seeing what there was to the town.   
  
Rachel walked outside, about five minutes later and walked over to her car and started it. It wouldn't start, it just stalled, repeatedly.   
  
Tobias walked over to her. "Would you like a ride?"   
  
She smiled. "No thanks."   
  
"Please. It's cold outside, and I promise no funny business." he told her.   
  
She nodded. "Okay then." she followed him to his motorcycle.   
  
He handed her his helmet. "Hold on tight." he told her as she put it on.   
  
One of Rachel's fantasies was to meet a guy with a motorcycle, and kind of had a badboy image. She found that to be something very sexy, but every since she met Tobias she found there to be something very sexy about him.   
  
He dropped her off infront of her apartment complex. "Here you go."   
  
She got off and handed him his hemet. "Thanks. You know what, I didn't even get your name. What is it?"   
  
"Tobias." he said as he strapped on his helmet. "I'll see you later." he said as he drove off. She stood infront of her apartment complex and watched him drove off, as if she was in a movie and repeated a cliche. Though she oddly, was in love with him.   
  
  
Marco needed to take a break from his writing, he's been at his house the whole day after the library. It was a little after four o'clock, and he needed a break. Something refreshing, so he decided to go for a little walk, since it stopped snowing. He walked a little ways and passed an arcade, he decided to go on in. Maybe it'd give him somemore inspiration for his book.   
  
Playing at one of the games was Tobias, he was hunched over it and was in deep thought and concentrating hard.   
  
Jake was an arcade game over, after he was done treating Cassie to a meal he drove her back to his parents. It was the best time he had for a while, he was falling for her already. She was sweet, funny, beautiful, and just amazing. He couldn't stop thinking about her.   
  
There they were all, spending a few hours at the arcade. All three of them, realizing that they bonded as men. They met at the change machine, all mad because the machine didn't have enough change for fives and tens. They had a laugh and were teams at some of the games. Then afterwards they went out for a beer just to laugh and talk.   
  
  
Rachel couldn't stop thinking about Tobias, how mysterious he seemed. He was a loner, a rebel, someone so different, she felt like she was in a 60s or 70s movie, or a version of Grease. All-American girl in love with a Biker Rebel. Of course it was the year 2000 and it wasn't that big of a deal anymore. People were doing so many different things nowadays.   
  
Rachel went out for a little walk, to maybe find Tobias, or just to stop thinking about him for a little bit.   
  
  
Cassie had a wonderful time with Jake, and they exchanged phone numbers, too. He was sweet and kind, and they met by an accident of fate, spilling hot chocolate on her. Like a scene from Notting Hill or some romance movie. It was fate, destiny, that's what she thought. They spent a while with eachother, laughing, talking, eating, drinking, just having fun. It was so laid back for her and him.   
  
After a while of hanging out with her parents she told them she'd run to the store for them and get a few things. On the way back, she saw Jake's car outside of a little bar and stopped in. She saw him playing pool with Tobias and Marco.   
  
She walked up to them, kind of nervously. "Hi Jake." she said shyly.   
  
"Cassie, hey." he walked up to her and gave her a little hug. "Let me introduce you to my friends. Cassie this is Tobias and Marco." they shook hands, it seemed so familiar to her and to them.   
  
"Where are you from Cassie?" Tobias asked her, as he took a swig of her beer.   
  
"Chicago." she said as she watched them play pool. "You remember me, don't you Marco? We met at the library."   
  
Marco nodded. "Oh yeah, I knew you looked familiar. You're visiting your parents."   
  
She nodded. "Yeah, that's right."   
  
  
Rachel noticed Jake's car outside in the parking lot, and of course what she hoped to me Tobias's motorcycle, she walked in and saw all four of them talking and laughing she walked up to them. "Hi everyone!"   
  
"Hey Rachel, everybody this is my favorite cousin Rachel." Jake introduced her, wrapping his arm around her. "Rach, this is Cassie, Marco, and Tobias."   
  
It all seemed like family to Rachel, as she took a seat and joined into the conversation. She even felt a wonderful connection with Jake, and an even more intimate feeling from Tobias.   
  
Jake looked over at Cassie and smiled at her. He knew she was the one, and she knew the same exact thing.   
  
Rachel and Tobias smiled and flirted with eachother through the whole night, they had a wonderful connection between them. Something that she missed most of her life, and he missed too.   
  
There the five of them, have finally met. They felt like family, like they knew each other their whole lives. Marco, Jake, Cassie, Rachel, and Tobias, together at last.   
  
The End  
  
  
(For those of you who read my "Rachel and Tobias's Wedding", do you like this one better?)  
  
  
Please Review! 


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